🤣 John, in your wildest dreams did you think that 16 years after your comment liberal teachers would be promoting sex changes for kids, boys dominating in girls sports, communists mayors of major cities, rampant voter fraud, 50 million more illegal immigrants — all promoted and defended by the Departments of Education everywhere?  Not to mention the in your face racism BY colored people (ahem, I mean people of color).  I shudder to think what the next 16 years will bring...

I don't think there is such a thing as 'independent monitoring' — from what I have seen, the monitors are blocked at every turn, and anyone who reports cheating is punished and ridiculed.

Well, we have seen how the 2020 election played out ... a well-coordinated coup d'etat in plain sight!  Followed by four years of a shadow government supported by a complicit media and the Deep State. 

Looking back, it's hard to believe the whole thing happened, but the entire world showed what a bunch of subservient sheep the people are, ripe for the culling.  It's the alternate ending of the Emperor Wears No Clothes — that little kid that called him out was sent to federal prison without trial for years, while the rest of the adults cheered it on.

Has enough changed to prevent the next elections from being stolen?  I seriously doubt it...

Socialism is a con, nothing but empty promises that have done nothing but centralize power into the hands of the most depraved, deluded, self-absorbed people, hand-picked by those that quietly maneuver the pieces on the board to funnel rivers of wealth and power into their secret coffers, all the while reducing a free people into servitude.  See USSR, Cuba, North Korea, China, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and now infiltrating Europe, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, etc.. 

It's interesting that the American socialists in government became filthy rich as public servants.  Useful idiots living in a utopian bubble who haven't been to a grocery store in years, living in multimillion dollar enclaves, secure from the rabble they con out of their freedom.  Disgusting!

Reminds me of a story of a man accused of stealing a horse.  The jury wouldn't convict him because he was so well-liked.  Upon acquittal he asked the judge, "Does that mean I can keep the horse?"

The Greek city of Tyre demonstrated one of the first examples of the shortcomings of democracy — hence the word 'tyranny' from which it gets its root. 

The study of ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Sumerian, etc. civilizations is indeed valuable — especially if we can glean from them what worked and what did not work. 

John Adams' Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, 1787 is one of the best studies on the subject.

Absolutely!  Might does not make right.  Ten million ignorances do not constitute one knowledge.  A majority cannot vote away the rights of a minority.  Congress cannot vote itself power it was never granted.

I have no doubt that some truly believe in their causes.  However, such zeal has nothing to do with their being 'fit' nor whether their cause is 'right.'

I love this quote.  This is the quintessential argument against democracy (which the USA was never chartered to be).  Not even considering the corruption in elections in the Americas, Canada, Europe... has it not become painfully obvious that 'democracy' has ushered in the worst forms of authoritarianism?  Leftist statism has been infiltrating the world with this corrupt practice for too long without resistance.  Freedom belongs to those that defend it!

Absolutely!  The principles and laws are immutable — as you sow, so shall you reap, including forgiveness.  This should be self-evident and is not dependent upon religious beliefs.  Don't throw the baby out with the bath water...

Love it! 💖

Hear, hear! 

Sales taxes (excise taxes) are the only real lawful taxes.  Higher income individuals by more stuff and at higher prices, therefore, the amount they pay in sales taxes is higher.  As well, income taxes are merely to pay the interest on the debt for the money supply.  If fiat currency was created interest-free, the only tax would be inflation, and that would be applied equally and in proportion to however much currency one was holding. No matter how you slice it, taxes are passed on down to the consumers who carry the brunt of government's wasteful and unlimited spending (i.e. borrowing).

What a load of crap, Waffler, even you don't believe what you are saying — if everything belongs to God, then what right do you have to tax Him?  Just more misdirection while you quote tax code at us to justify your theft — I say "your theft" because you worked for the IRS proudly.

🤣🤣🤣 I suppose "the science is settled," eh, Robert?  The intelligent design of the universe is self-evident to me — I've done the research as well as the math. Not in 5 billion years could human DNA evolve from a primordial soup without intelligent guidance.  The artist is known through his art, same with the Creator of the universe.

I think the Jews in Germany at the time were considered communist sympathizers.  There has never been anything bloodier than war between competing socialist ideologies like the communists on the 'left' versus the fascists on the 'right' neither of which support "real piety in practice."  Christian theocracies whether Catholic or Protestant hardy represent the tenets of Christ either, neither do secular statist theocracies.  The problem isn't religion per se but the failure to "perform all known duties to our fellow men."

Tashina, you are confusing John Quincy Adams with his father John Adams.  But yes, John Quincy had a great upbringing by and example of his father!

"Those they crush under the yoke of individual liberty"?  I think you've got that backwards, Robert.  Individual liberty is not the yoke, statism is.

I should add, look to the elections in California — literally one-party rule.  In the LA mayoral race, the 2 choices are a socialist and a communist.  People and businesses are leaving in droves because of the dictatorial acts of their leaders.  Crime and homelessness are rampant in what should be one of the most prosperous states in the world.  There is a reason!  I'll let you figure it out.

So-called 'democracy' is an effective engine to dictatorship with each party striving for one-party rule.  The Soviet Union was a democracy, China is a democracy, Cuba is a democracy, Nazi Germany was a democracy — all resulted in a single party.  Once the people decide to vote themselves the property of the opposition and gradually become dependent upon the favors of the state, they will continually vote for more.  That's why the 'Responsibility Party' will never win an election. 

The American founders hated democracy and established a republican representative government with land owners as electors for President and Governor.  Senators were appointed by the state legislatures.  The Electoral College was established to temper the passions of majority with each state recognized as a sovereign entity. 

By tearing down republican foundations, 'our democracy' has become a dictatorial body that knows no bounds to its claims to power, property, labor — everything and everyone.  Socialist 'useful idiots' are authoritarian in nature, and if left to their own devices, will end up being ruled by a dictator sooner or later — just look at how they select their leaders, there's nothing democratic about it.

Mike makes the distinction between fellowship and collectivism.

A bit long, but you aren't wrong...

Freedom of conscience is not "choosing a belief system," it is thinking for oneself, even in contradiction to a belief system.  How does one weigh 'what is right?'  How does one discern truth from non-truth?  That is the first of human freedoms, to think for oneself.  I can be wrong, but I am free, and therefore responsible for the effect of being wrong.  There is no freedom if I am unable to make mistakes and therefore (hopefully) learn from them.

Freedom of conscience is tested precisely when authority commands what conscience forbids. Without the freedom to disobey, conscience is merely private opinion, not a genuine liberty.

I am inclined to agree, but look what has happened once drugs were decriminalized.  Now the call to eliminate prisons altogether, no cash bail, no prosecution of theft, 'teen' mobs, criminals treated as martyrs and security guards prosecuted for stopping shoplifters.  Fentanyl pouring in over the borders all with the blessing of the leftists.  Once again, give an inch, take a mile.  It must be obvious by now, the goal is the destruction of America "by any means necessary."

Statism absolutely requires a dependent and compliant populace conditioned into servitude.  After a few generations, the people will have long forgotten what it means to be sovereign and self-determining.  Then comes the culling of the herd...